Time Won't Heal a Broken Heart Alt Ending
by L'Vanna
Summary: For those who asked for it here it is, the alternate ending. LMHG SSHGAU, OOC Original story archived under LMHG


Time Won't Heal a Broken Heart

They lay together on their large four-poster bed. Lucius listened to her deep even breathes in the darkness and wondered whom she would dream about tonight.

Sometimes at night, she cried out in her sleep for_ him_ the one who broke her heart yet still inhabited the largest part of it. Lucius knew he wasn't the first love of her life, he was second and always would be.

The movements and small noises she was making shook him from his pondering.

"No, don't leave. No, please…"

He sighed and drew her closer to him. She was dreaming about him again, she claimed she could not remember her dreams when she awoke. He knew she was being less then honest with him about that. She would rather lie to him then be the source of pain. That was one of her many qualities that he loved; her protectiveness of those she held near to her heart.

"Please, no…don't…" she murmured as her dream once again escaped from the confines of her mind.

Lucius would never understand how he could have left her. He had questioned him about it once, receiving banal answers about how she could do better, he was much too old for her, etc. Naturally, Lucius did not believe a word of it except for how she could do better. Even if it were true, he knew she would never think that way, being a true Gryffindor she followed her heart.

No, those excuses were to cover up the real reason, fear, his friend was afraid that she might one day leave him so he left first.

Of course, Severus was none too happy when she took up with him. At first Lucius enjoyed nothing more then flaunting the fact that Hermione was with him now. Being the Slytherin he is, Lucius used it for all it was worth. He knew Severus was angry with him and would avoid both of them for a while.

She was moaning louder he could hear the pain in her voice. It had been two years since Severus left her, the dreams seemed to have stopped for a while that is until she saw the picture in the Daily Prophet last week.

He came home from an early morning meeting when a house elf told him, "Miss Hermione very sad, she cry and no stop. Master Lucius must go to her."

"What happened to upset her?"

"Miss Hermione see picture in paper." The elf handed him the paper turned to the society page. A large picture of Severus and Aurora Sinistra dancing at a party, it seemed they had become an item

"Where is she?"

"Up in Master's room."

He found her huddled in a corner, inconsolable. Lifting her into his arms, she clung to him as if her very existence depended on him. He called for a house elf to bring him a Calming Draught for her.

"Hermione, love, please drink this." As the draught took affect, she loosened her grip on him and her cries calmed to sniffles and hiccoughs.

Lifting her off the floor he carried her to their bed, laying her down gently he stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry, Lucius."

"Shhh, you have nothing to be sorry for, love. We will talk later after you have had some rest."

As she slept, Lucius paced the room wondering what he could do to end the torture she was putting herself through over Severus.

An idea came to him, but he would need to research it a bit before talking to her about it.

"Limp Ear." Lucius called out, a small elf appeared, his left ear folded over implying where his name originated.

"Keep watch over Miss Hermione, I will be back shortly. If she starts to awaken before then, come to the library to notify me immediately."

"Yes, Master Lucius, Limp Ear do as yous says."

Quietly leaving the room, so he wouldn't disturb her rest, Lucius headed to library.

Searching the shelves he found the book he was looking for, he only hoped that he could convince all involved that this was the best answer. Taking the book back up to his chambers he sat on the lounge to read while Hermione slept.

The potion would require a Potions master to brew and three drops of blood which, according to the Ministry in all it's stupidity, made it '_dark_'. He would have to pay a visit to Hogwarts and have a long, and no doubt loud, discussion with his friend. If he could convince him to brew the potion then he would talk to Hermione. The final decision would have to be hers, as she would be imbibing the potion and her mind, it would affect her mind.

He heard her stirring, and carefully placing a piece of parchment to mark the page; he put the book into a hidden nook next to the mantel.

As he approached their bed, she awoke feeling emotionally drained and embarrassed at her reaction to the picture in the Daily Prophet.

"I'm sorry, Lucius. I don't know what came over me. It's silly, really, for me to act that way. I mean I have you now, and I always knew Severus would eventually find someone else."

Lucius could see the deep sadness in her eyes, no matter how much she tried to cover it up. Climbing onto the bed, he sat up against the headboard and took Hermione in his arms her tears started falling again.

"Why the tears, Hermione?"

"I've hurt you…"

"Stop right there, Hermione. I am far too old, and far too jaded to have my _feelings_ hurt by this. What has wounded me is your lying, to me and to yourself. I know of your feelings for Severus and that his rejection of you did much damage to you emotionally. After what he did to you, he doesn't merit your tears. I can accept that he will always have a place in your heart; however, I cannot continue to watch you go to pieces over seeing a picture of him with another witch.

"I want to help heal your heart. I want us to move on together with our lives and give you some serenity."

"I just don't understand why he left me. He wouldn't give me an honest answer, the only thing he would say is it's over and to get out of his sight."

"I'm sure Severus had his own reasons, love. He has had a hard life, I'm sure that it has left him I damaged /I in many ways."

The next day Lucius Apparated to the gates of Hogwarts and made his way up to the castle. He stood in front of Snape's office door, hoping that Severus would not give him a hard time as he knocked on the door.

"Enter." He heard Snape reply from the other side of the door. Wrapping his hand around the ancient handle, he depressed the latch down and pushed open the door.

"Good day, Severus." Lucius said as he stepped into the room.

"Lucius, what are you doing here?" Snape said as he looked up from his never-ending marking.

"I have need of your expertise, actually Hermione has the need." Lucius took the book out of his cloak pocket opening it to the page containing the potion. "Do you know of this potion?"

Severus looked over the page his eyebrow rising to his hairline, "Why would Miss Granger need this potion?"

"Why indeed. Would you like to take a gander as to why, Severus?"

"Have you had your fill of her too, Lucius?"

"You may have been able to fool her with that nonsense, Severus, but you should know that I can see through that."

"All I see is that she went from my bed to yours, hardly the actions of a '_heartbroken_' witch."

"You know very well that is not how she came to be with me, Severus. You know the real reason you turned her out was due to your own insecurities."

Severus looked at his old friend with cold eyes he had hit the nail on the proverbial head. He however, didn't think Lucius knew him that well.

"You could have told her, Severus that you thought she could do better than you. That being with you would only hold her back. You didn't have to destroy her heart."

"She's too much a Gryffindor, Lucius she would have argued with me."

Lucius laughed lightly, "Seems some of her Gryffindor traits have rubbed off on you, Severus."

"I could say the same of you."

"Unlikely, my actions are more self serving. I want her to myself; I tire of hearing her call out your name in her sleep, watching her sink deeper into her depression every time she sees your picture or hears others speak about you.

"After what I came home to yesterday, something must change."

"I'm sorry; Lucius, but I will not brew this potion."

Hermione woke up to find that Lucius was already up and gone. Calling one of the house elves, she discovered he had left earlier this morning.

"Do you know where he went?"

"Master is at Hogwarts, Miss Hermione."

"Why did he go there? He's no longer a governor of the school."

"I's do not know, Miss Hermione."

_Snape_. She thought, _He went to see, Severus. What was he thinking? What is he doing?_

Dressing quickly she grabbed her cloak and ran to the Apparation room. At the gates of Hogwarts she stopped and looked at the castle with nostalgia, her old school held many happy and equally sad memories. Pushing the gates open, she moved quickly up the path to the doors and made her way quietly down to the dungeons and to Severus' office door.

As she stood in front of the door, she could make out the voices of Lucius and Severus. Hoping they were too distracted to notice she cast a charm to magnify their voices so she could hear them clearer.

"What do you mean, you won't make the potion? Why ever not?"

"My reasons are my own, Lucius."

Those two sentences were enough for Hermione as she ended the spell, opened the door and stepped into the office.

"What potion and why won't you make it, Severus?"

Two very surprised wizards turned to see the subject of their discussion enter the room.

"What are you talking about, Lucius, what potion?"

"Your paramour wants me to brew this for you." Severus said as he handed her the book.

Turning towards Severus, she frowned at the distain in his voice as she took the book from his hands.

_Excidi Invenustum_ she read the words, but could hardly believe that Lucius even knew of this potion.

"Why would you want me to take this draught, Lucius? Where you planning on telling me about it or where you going to slip it to me one night?"

"Of course not, I was planning on conferring with you about it if I could persuade Severus to brew it for you."

Satisfied with Lucius answer for the moment she turned her attention to Severus.

"And you, why do you refuse to brew it?"

"I reiterate - my reasons are my own."

"What if I asked you to brew it for me? Would you do it then, Severus?"

He looked into her eyes and could still see the raw pain that he put there two years previously. Severus wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and wipe out all the hurt he had caused her.

"Why would you want to forget what you felt for me, Hermione?"

"I don't want to forget, Severus. But I cannot keep living like this either, it hurts too much."

As Severus saw the tears starting to well in her eyes he thought she still deserved better then him. Lucius could do so much more for her; more then he ever could hope to do.

His hand rose to her face as tears started to fall he gently wiped them away. "Hermione, I cannot do for you what others can. My past will be a hindrance to you. You deserve so much more."

Lucius looked on as the former lovers drew closer to each other. _I must be getting soft in my dotage._ he thought. _I have to let her go, that is if Severus isn't fool enough to turn her away…again. However, if it doesn't work out, I will be more than happy to take up where we left off. Of course, Severus will have to brew that potion, even if I have to force him to at wand point._

"Oh, Severus, don't you know that any success I may have would be empty without you to share it. I couldn't care less what others think, the only opinion that matters to me is yours. I…I love you, Severus, I never stopped loving you."

His eyes never left hers as she declared her undying love for him, he didn't feel he deserved a woman who would love him like that, yet here she was.

"It will not be easy for us, Hermione. There will be those who look down on me for my past deeds and you for being with me. I'm not the easiest man to live with either."

She touched his cheek, as smile lifting the corners of her mouth, "When have you ever known me to back down from a challenge."

Lucius cleared his throat, bringing them back to the fact the he was indeed still in the room.

Their heads turned in unison as Lucius came up to the front of the desk.

"Oh…Lucius, I…" Hermione stammered.

"Forgot I was here? That much was apparent." He said to Hermione as he turned his attention to Severus.

"I'm glad to see you finally came to your senses, Severus. I do warn you, though, if you're stupid enough to let her go again, I will not be so magnanimous a second time."

As Lucius turned back to Hermione, he took her hand and bringing it to his lips placed a kiss on her knuckles.

"You knew this would happen, didn't you, Lucius?" Hermione asked.

"Of course I knew. I only hoped Severus wasn't daft enough to brew the damnable potion. However, if he was foolish enough to go ahead with it…" Lucius suddenly found himself with an armful of Hermione.

"Thank you, Lucius." Hermione said as hugged him tightly.

"I would do anything to see you happy." He responded in a gentle whisper in her ear.

As they parted, she moved back to Severus' side.

"I'll have Miffy pack your things and send them here. I wish you both the best."

As he turned and walked out the door Lucius, thought France was lovely this time of year. _It has been a long while since I've seen Draco and Pansy. _


End file.
